Gorakhpur
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Gorakhpur (Hindi: गोरखपुर, Urdu: گورکھپور) is a city in the eastern part of the state of Uttar Pradesh in India, near the border with Nepal. It is the administrative headquarters of Gorakhpur District and Gorakhpur Division. Gorakhpur is famous as a religious centre: the city was home to Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, Jain and Sikh saints and is named after the medieval saint Gorakshanath. Gorakhnath Temple is still the seat of the Nath sect. It is also the Birth place of the great saint Paramhansa Yogananda. The city is also home to many historic Buddhist sites,Imambara[1]-a 18th century dargah and the Gita Press, a publisher of Hindu religious texts,
In the 20th century, Gorakhpur was a focal point in the Indian independence movement. Today, the city is also a business centre, hosting the headquarters of the North Eastern Railways, previously known as Bengal Nagpur Railways, and an industrial area, GIDA (Gorakhpur Development Authority) 15 km from the old town.
District statistics
- Geographical Area 3,483.8 km2
- Total Population(2009) 10,61,428
- Sex Ratio (2001) 1000 /959
- Rural Population ( 69.40% ) (2001) 3,030,865
- Urban Population ( 30.60% ) (2001) 738,591
- Total Literates ( 41.89% ) (2009) 4,44,632 approx.
Origin of name
The city and district of Gorakhpur are named after a renowned ascetic saint, Gorakshanath, the chief disciple of the yogi Matsyendranath. Together, Matsyendranath and Gorakshanath founded the Nath Sampradaya line of saints. Gorakhnath Temple is said to stand on the spot where Gorakshanath practiced Hatha Yoga to develop self-control. It is said that Gorakhnath, a Kanphata Yogi who came to this place from the Punjab and erected a shrine of Goraksha, a deity of great renown in Nepal. In course of time, he became an eminent religious figure and is said to have founded the city of Gorakhpur.So that Shiv Mandir is Jharkhnadi BABA AVC Kunraghat and Hanuman Mandir Is Situated in AVC Chouraha .
Location
The present district of Gorakhpur lies between Lat. 26º 13' N and 27º 29' N and Long. 83º 05' E and 83º 56' E. The district occupies the north-eastern corner of the state along with the district of Deoria, and comprises a large stretch of country lying to the north of the river Ghaghra, the deep stream of which forms its southern boundary with district Azamgarh. On the west, the boundary marches along Basti and on the east adjoins Deoria and the Chhoti Gandak Nadi and in further south the Jharna Nala forms partly dividing line. In the north lies the territory of Nepal.
Topography
The district presents characteristics distinct from natural features of the western districts, of the State. This difference is due primarily to the relative proximity of the Himalayas. The outermost foothills are but a few kilometers distant from the northern borders, and the high peaks of the snowy range, culminating in the huge mass of Dhaulgiri, some 8,230 meters above sea-level, are clearly in sight under favourable climatic conditions as far south as Gorakhpur itself.Below the outer hills is a dry boulder-strewn tract, corresponding to the Bhabar of Kumaun and Garhwal and here the bulk of the moisture contributed by the rainfall and the small streams is absorbed by the soil, to reappear through seepage in the damp and unhealthy tract, known as the terai. The latter comprises a belt some 16 km. in width, running along the northern borders of Maharajganj tahsil. It is extensively cultivated. In south of the terai in the same tahsil is a stretch of forest land which extends downwards in patches as far as the centre of the district. The average depth of water is about 4.5 meters. The plains form a level tract which slopes gently from west to south-east. The height above sea-level ranges from 107 meters in north-west to 93 meters in the south-east. Higher elevations appear at places where the general flat surface is broken by irregular ranges of sandhills. The most clearly defined ridge of this nature starts near Hapur in the Mahrajganj tahsil and runs in a winding course almost to Deoria. It presumably marks the long abandoned channel of the Gandak or some other river, since throughout its length it is bordered by a chain of depressions and jhils and in several places pebbles and boulders have been encountered in sinking shafts for wells. In contradiction to the high ridge are the low and often broad valleys of rivers known as kachhar. The valleys of the larger rivers are not only depressed well below the general level of the country but are of considerable breadth.Thus there is a wide area of low land which is inundated in years of heavy rainfall.
Geology
The geology of the district exposes nothing beyond ordinary river borne alluvium which is not old. The mineral products are few and unimportant. The minerals of commercial value are the nodular limestone conglomerate known as kankar, brick and saltpetre. The last occurs principally in the south and south-east and is manufactured in a crude state in considerable quantities most of it being exported to markets of Bihar. In the Bansgaon tahsil kankar is most abundant and quarries are seen at many places. It is also extracted from some places in Mahrajganj tahsil. Lime is obtained by burning kankar. Brick clay is abundant everywhere and bricks are made all over the district. The soil in the district is light sandy or dense clay of yellowish brown colour. The sand found in the rivers is medium to coarse grained, greyish white to brownish in colour and is suitable for construction purposes.
History
In ancient times the geographical area of Gorakhpur included the modern districts of Basti, Deoria, Kushinagar, Azamgarh. According to Vedic writings, the earliest known monarch ruling over this region with his capital at Ayodhya was Iksvaku, founder of the Solar dynasty. The solar dynasty produced a number of kings; Rama of the Ramayana is most well-known. The entire region was an important centre of Aryan culture and civilization, a part of the famous kingdoms of Koshala and Malla, two of the sixteen Mahajanapadas (states) in 6th century BCE India.
Gautama Buddha, founder of Buddhism, who was born at Kapilvastu near Gorakhpur, renounced his princely clothing at the confluence of the rivers Rapti and Rohini, near Gorakhpur, before setting out on his quest of truth in 600 BCE. Later he died in the courtyard of Malla King Hastipal Malla at his capital Kushinara which is now known as Kushinagar, there is a monument to this effect at Kushinagar even today. The city is also associated with the travels of Lord Buddha's contemporary Lord Mahavira, the 24th Tirthankara of Jainism. Lord Mahavira was born at a place not very far from Gorakhpur. Later he took his mahaparinirvan at his maternal uncle's palace at Pava which is about 15 kilometer from Kushinagar(Pavapuri and Kushinara were the twin capital of Malla dynasty which was part 16 Mahajanpads of ancient India). Malla dynasty was following democratic way of ruling from their Santhagara and thus Gorakhpur is also the place of ancient Gana sangh kshatriya.
After the Iksvaku dynasty was conquered by Magadha's Nanda Dynasty in the 4th century BC, Gorakhpur became in turn part of the Maurya, Shunga, Kushana, Gupta and Harsha empires. The great emperor of India Chandragupta maurya belonged to Moriyas, a Kshatriya (warrior) clan of a little ancient republic of Pippalivana located between Rummindei in the Nepali Tarai and Kasia in the Gorakhpur district of Uttar Pradesh.
In the 10th century, the Tharu king Mausen of Madan Singh ruled over Gorakhpur city and the adjoining area. Gorakhpur was also birth place of King Vikas Sankrityayan.[1]
In medieval times, the city was home to the medieval Hindu saint Gorakshanath, who gave the city its name. The date of Gorakshanath's birth has not yet been settled, but he probably lived in the twelfth century. The site of his samādhi (ecstasy) at Gorakhpur attracts a large number of pilgrims every year.
In the 12th century, the Gorakhpur region, as much of northern India, was conquered by the Muslim ruler Muhammad Ghori. The region remained under the influence of Muslim rulers, such as Qutb-ud-din Aybak and Bahadur Shah, for some centuries. In the early 16th century, the mystic poet and famous saint Kabir lived and worked in Maghar, a village 20 km from Gorakhpur, where his burial place still attracts many pilgrims.
On Akbar's reorganisation of the empire in the 16th century, Gorakhpur gave its name to one of the five Sarkars (administrative units) in the province of Awadh.
Imambara, an 18th century dargah, is located about 2 km from railway station in Gorakhpur of Uttar Pradesh. Imambara is the dargah of Roshan Ali Shah[2], a Sufi saint. It preserves a dhuni (smoke fire), and is famous for its gold and silver Tazia
Gorakhpur came under direct British control in 1803. It was one of major centers of the 1857 uprising, and later played a major role in the Indian independence movement.
Gorakhpur district was the scene of the Chauri Chaura incident of February 4, 1922, which was a turning point in the history of India's freedom struggle. Enraged by police atrocities, a crowd of 2,000 people burnt down the Chauri-Chaura Police Station, killing nineteen policemen. In response to this violence, Mahatma Gandhi called off the Non-Cooperation Movement that he had launched in 1920 and fasted for 21 days, until he was satisfied that all Non-Cooperation Movement activities had ceased. It was in Gorakhpur Jail that Ram Prasad Bismil was hanged for taking active part in the fight against the British rule.
In 1934, an earthquake (8.1 on the Richter scale) caused much damage in the city.
Two other important events in the district took place in 1942, shortly after the famous Quit India Resolution was proclaimed on August 8. On August 9, Jawaharlal Nehru was arrested and tried in this district; he spent the next three years in prison. At village Doharia kala (Pali block in Sahjanwa Tehsil) on August 23, a protest meeting was held against the British Government. Government forces opened fire unprovoked, killing nine and injuring hundreds. A Shaheed Smarak memorial stands on the spot today.
It is also the birth place of Mahapandit Rahul Sankrityayan. It is also known for being the head of north eastern railways(NER). Late Sachindra Nath Sanyal (Very few people to have undertaken Transportation for Life twice), who was the founder of Hindusthan Republican Army, which later on transformed into INA (Azad Hind Fauz) was founded by him. He spent his last life as a destitute, neglected by all, in a place in the city, when he was stricken by TB. The place today is known as Betiahata. A large Multistory residential building stands today on the spot, owned by Sahara. Also Karma Bhumi of Late Jitendra Nath Sanyal, the Revolutionarist, who spent seven years in jail, against the British, was associated in Lahore Conspiracy case, written a book on Sardar Bhagat Singh was imprisoned by the British. The most interesting chapter is Indian air base which is destroyed by a Pakistani spy with his six followers in 1974, that spy known as Abu Shuja Abu Waqar (real name: Saleem) after returned back from India, later wrote a book named "Ghazi" in which he claimed that more than 200 IAF personnal were killed. Urdu poet Firaq Gorakhpuri,hocky player Prem Maya,famours wrestler Ramasrya Pahelwan and comedian Asit Sen are some of the eminent personalities associated with Gorakhpur. In fact Premchand, the famous Hindi writer composed some of his major works here.
Geography
It is located on the bank of river Rapti and Rohani, a Ganges tributary originating in Nepal that sometimes causes severe floods. The Rapti is interconnected through many other small rivers following meandering courses across the Gangetic Plain. There is also a big lake called "Ramgarh Tal", which has its own story of formation. It has many other small villages located around the city. In the outer skirts of the city farming is very much prevalent. It has a good rainfall every year. It is also the way to the famous tourist spot and pilgrimage site Kushinagar, where the Buddha Mahaparinirvana took place. Many tourists come here to visit this place.
The district of Gorakhpur has ancient history and religious importance. In ancient times the district Gorakhpur was covered completely in forests where sages lived in ashrams and they taught boys from different parts of the country. The infamous prince Rama is even said to have passed through the district of Gorakhpur. There are many temples and religious sites in the district that adds a realm of historical importance. In the year of 1850 a plan to develop the school's in the district was created. The district of Gorakhpur has excellent hospitals to administer proper medical care to individuals in need.
Economy
The economy of Gorakhpur Mahanagar is based on the service-industry. There is no production industry. People from all over Purvanchal (Eastern U.P) migrate to the city for better education, medical and other facilities which are better compared to villages.
With a good geographical location and sub-urban to urban background, the city's economy is definitely on a rise but only in service - sector.
The city is famous for handwoven fabric made on a Hathkargha, a hand-operated loom, and Terracota products but there is on care-taker of that for greater commercial perspective. There are branches of all major nationalized banks as well as of private banks like ICICI, HDFC, AXIS,IDBI, IndusInd, ING Vysya Bank in the city.The Kayastha Bank which was stared in Gorakhpur where later on Bank of Bengal branch was started in the same premises in 1906. The Bank of Bengal was later merged with Imperial Bank of India(IBI)along with other presidency banks (Bank of Bombay and Bank of Madras). This branch therefore named Main branch of Imperial Bank of India. The IBI after India became independent was named as State Bank of India [SBI] w.e.f. 1 July 1955. Still Main branch of SBI is functioning there. The road of this Bank was known as Bank Road and as of now most of the Banks have their branches on this road. SBI has it's ATM Plaza with 5 Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) in a row which is first of it's kind not only in Gorakhpur but also in entire India. The idea of this ATM Plaza with five ATMs at one point was conceived by the then Assistant General Manager (AGM) of the SBI main branch Shri Shive Prakash Mishra (S.P.Mishra)in order to ensure continuous availability of the ATM facility to public at large and also to create a record for SBI in Gorakhpur. With the Lead Bank's responsibility SBI has 53 branches in the District.
High water mark of the city, "Golghar", in almost the geographical center of the city includes several major shops, hotels, banks, and restaurants, as well as the Baldev Plaza, Mangalam Tower and City shopping malls. Baldev Plaza is the oldest and largest shopping mall in the region. Other Malls, such as Crossroads mall, can also be found in adjoining Baxipur area. City Mall holds a 3 screen SRS Multiplex which is an attraction for movie lovers. Buxipur area accounts for one of the biggest book markets of North Eastern Uttar Pradesh.
Culture
Food:-The city of Gorakhpur is saturated with culture. There is a rich abundance of tradition and culture that can be seen every day in the picturesque city of Gorakhpur. When visiting Gorakhpur you notice the harmonious way of life and pace in the city. You will be taken away by the beautiful people and impressive traditions that they continue to practice on a regular basis. The breathtaking scenery along with the rich culture of the people make Gorakhpur a sensational place to be.The number of those who eat meat, fish and eggs is also considerable. Meat is not generally available in the villages and many even in towns, can hardly afford it. Wheat, rice, gram, maize, and pulses along with curd, milk, vegetables, ghee and vegetable oils, constitute the items of daily food, rice being the staple food of the people. Coarse grains like jowar, makka, bajra, barley, kodon, and sawan form the staple diet of the poor. Among villagers sattu, flour of parched gram and barley mixes mixed, and chabena (parched grain) are quite popular. Finely ground sattu is used in towns also. people generally take meals a day, about midday and at sunset or after or morning and evening. Roti or chapati or rice is eaten with a bowl of pulse or with cooked vegetable, pickles, curd, or only salt jaggery or onion.Tea is common. Milk is gradually becoming rare. Seasonal fruits and vegetables are used. Efforts are being made by various food departments to change the food habits of the people and to induce them to grow and eat more vegetables, use more eggs, etc, but there has not much impact uptil now.Gorakhpur has a delicious cuisine choices that are traditional cultural platters of Galawati and Kakori kabobs in Oudh to Rampuri Fish.
Art:- In Gorakhpur wood carvers chisel on local doors and sills perfecting their craft and keeping the buildings as well as local homes restored. The daily culture and life in Gorakhpur is calm and diligent. There are images of Gods and Goddesses made from stone blocks that adorn every temple and shrine in Gorakhpur because it is a city rich in religious culture.
Music:-One of the biggest part of Gorakhpur’s culture is the tradition of folk-songs and folk-dances. This is a very artistic vivid part of Gorakhpur’s culture. After a long day of work they unwind with singing and dancing. They have different dances and songs for special occasions also. Folk-songs are performed at different festivals and seasons during the year. They sing the kaharwa at Deepawali, the Alha, Kajri,k Barahmasi during the rainy and winter nights, and the Phaag during Holi. The people of Gorakhpur use the harmonium, dholak, manjira, mridung, nagara, thali, and nagara as musical instruments when they perform. Some of the most popular folk-dances is saved for the special occasion of festivals, fairs, and marriages to celebrate. Gorakhpur’s heritage of songs and dances is a important part of their culture.The village folk generally look for recreation and amusement during the rainy season between agriculture operations, and on winter nights, when they are comparatively free. They sing folk songs called biraha, kajari, bidesia and malhar, to the accompaniment of handy musical instruments like dholak and majira and often harmonium too. Kajari and holi are sung in groups.
Dress :- The normal dress at home of the men, both Hindus and Muslims is shirt or Kurta and dhoti or pyjama. While going out, however, they generally put on trousers with coat, shirt or bushirts, etc., which has become the dress of working class. Once back home they revert to the normal dress. On formal occasions, men wear sherwani or achakan and churidar or the loose pyjama. In villages men still wear turban. The normal dress of women is sari and blouse or choli i.e., short blouse. The punjabi women however put on salwar, kurta and dupatta. Some Muslim women still wear churidar pyjama or garara with kurta and dupatta. In the town of Gorakhpur young girls are also seen wearing skirt and slacks, salwar, garara or sharara with kurta and dupatta and recently now bell-bottomed pyjamas with kamiz have in vogue. The use of the lehanga (full long skirt) still persists among the women of the villages or on ceremonial occasions in Hindu families. Women usually cover their head with dupatta or sari and men use cloth caps.
Jewellery :- Men do not wear jewellery except a gold chain in the neck and rings on the fingers are worn by a few. Women as usual wear gold, silver or nickel jewellery according to their means and taste. Costume jewellery is also in vogues now in all communities. The following are the common items in both the rural and urban areas. Bunda and jhumki(ear ring), kara for hands and feet both, lachcha, payal (anklets), keel and nath (nose-stud and nose-ring); hansuli (tight neck-lace), karadhani(gold or silver waist band), anguthi (ring), and panchhaila (wristlet). Silver bichhia i.e.toe-ring is a must for every married Hindu women.
Amusements and Recreations :- There are thirteen cinema house in the district having a total capacity of six thousand seats.Cinema is the cheapest and the most popular means of entertainment. Documentaries and mobile cinema cater for the rural areas of the district. Dramatic societies and circuses also visit the district now and then. Dangal (wrestling matches), nautanki (indigenous open-air dramatic performances), bhajan and qawwali programmes, kavi-sammelan and mushaira are also arranged at different places from time to time. Besides in the local fairs swings, children's carnival, magic shows etc. are also arranged. Ramlila and Krishnalila provide entertainment in their own way. Occasionally artists and troupes from outside visit the district and provide entertainment.
People
The major composition of population Hindu- Kayasth, Brahmins and Rajputs & ancient republic kshatriyas sainthwar and mall Rajputs; Muslims;Sikh:Christians. In recent times people from Bihar have started settling in Gorakhpur.
The language of Gorakhpur consists of Hindi and Bhojpuri. Both of these languages is widely used in India. The Hindi language has over 300 million native speakers. It is the mother tongue of over 400 million Indians. There are some local variations in the language of Hindi which is spoken in Gorakhpur but it is the most widely used language of the city. The second language of the city of Gorakhpur is Bhojpuri. There are numerous dialects of Bhojpuri especially in the Uttar Pradesh region. Bhojpuri blends the vocabulary of Sanskrit, Hindi, Urdu, as well as other Indo-Aryan type of languages consistent in northern India. The language of Bhojpuri is related to Bihari languages. The language of Bhojpuri that is spoken frequently in Gorakhpur is also spoken in Fiji, Trinidad, Tobago, Guyana, Mauritius, and Suriname.
Notable people
- Guru Gorakhnath, saint
- Gautam Buddha, saint
- Kabirdas. saint
- Firaq Gorakhpuri, Urdu poet
- Premchand, Hindi writer
- Hanuman Prasad Poddar, activist and editor
- Vithal Das Modi,founder Arogya Mandir
- Subrata Roy, business man
- Panne Lal Yadav, wrestler
- Ramasrya Pahelwan,Wrestler
- Omair Ahmad, Author
- Asit Sen,Famous Comedian
- Vidya Niwas Mishra, scholar of Hindi and Sanskrit
- Daler Mehndi, singer
- dr sharad mani tripathi, Music Director
- Kanhaiya Srivastava, Music Director & Recordist
- Syed Modi, badminton player
- Vineet Kumar Chaturvedi,Peppeganj,Famous Social Activist,Hindi Poet,
- Narendra Hirwani, cricket player
- Prem Maya Sonir, hockey playerAwardee.
- Anurag Kashyap, film director and screenwriter.
- Jimmy Shergill, actor
- Raj Shankar, biochemist
- Leo Amery, politician and journalist
- Laxmikant-Pyarelal, Bollywood composer duo
- Billy Arjan Singh, hunter turned conservationist, author
- Raza Murad, actor
- Amrita Sher-Gil, painter
- Vaibhav Saxena, bollywood music director
- Vir Bahadur Singh,Former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh and Union Cabinet Minister of Communication.
- Chunky Pandey, actor
- Saurabh Shukla, film and television actor, director and screenwriter
- Mahendra Nath Mulla, Navy officer
- Varsha Raffel, cricketer
- Brahmalina Sri Jaydayal Goyandka,Geeta press founder
- Yasir Abbasi, Cinematographer
- Mike Pandey, Wildlife activist and Award winning Documentary maker
- Avinash Dubey,Dance sangram 2010 winner (mahuaa tv)
- Praveen Kr.Singh Jet Airways Manager
- Sanjay Sharma & Indu Sharma - Founder Gorakhpurinfo.com
- Shive Prakash Mishra] Asstt. General Manager, State Bank of India, Gorakhpur
- Satyendra Pratap Singh] well known economic journalist comes from Gorakhpur.
- [Ishwari Prasad Tripathi] founder of Deepshikha kanya Inter College,peeppeganj,Gorakhpur.
Shakir Ali Barrister (1879–1962) was born on 7 June 1879 in a respectable Abbasi family of Kakori a small town about 20 miles from Lucknow(India)the Capital of United Provinces during British rule. His ancestors acted as Quazi during the Moghal regime,the family also holds a decree (Sanad)from the Emperor Akber.He completed his early education from MAO Aligarh(now Aligarh Muslim University). He went to England in 1905 to join Lincoln's Inn for his degree in Law.In 1908 he graduated and came back to India. He was appointed inspector of Schools but after some time he preferred to go into his own legal practice. He resigned the post and started his own practice as a Barrister in Gorakhpur. He was one of the well known criminal lawyers of India. He had occasions to appear in some of the most important and noted cases e.g.Meerut Conspiracy Case, the Indian National Army(INA)trial held in Red Fort Delhi, Kakori Train Dacoity and Chauri Chaura Arson case.
During the Quit India Movement he joined the Congress and very soon became a force to recon in the party, became a member in the Executive Committee and was very popular in whole of the eastern region of India.
Mr Shakir Ali was the member of the reformed Legislative Council from 1921 to 1923. He was a staunch nationalist throughout his life and led the Khilafat Movement in Gorakhpur in 1920.
He retired in 1956 after practising Criminal Law for 45 years and died at the age of 84 on 26 December 1962.
Literature
Munshi Premchand (1880–1936), one of India's great Hindi novelists, lived in Gorakhpur. The house where he lived and wrote still stands in a park named Munshi Premchand Park.
Firaq Gorakhpuri (1896–1982) (Raghupati Sahay), the famous Urdu poet, grew up in Gorakhpur, where his childhood home still stands. He later moved to Allahabad where he was a professor of English at Allahabad University.
Famous music director Pyarelal of Lakxmikant-Pyarelal (LP) was born in Gorakhpur.
Famous Poet and critic, Majnoon Gorakhpuri, is also from Gorakhpur
Renowned Urdu poet Mohammad Umar Khan 'Umar' aka Umar Gorakhpuri, a disciple of legendary poet Dagh Dehelvi, also belonged to Gorakhpur. A collection of his selected poetry entitled "Bada-i-Kuhna" (The Old Wine) has recently been published.
Gorakhpur is also the home to the Gita Press, publishers of many Hindu holy texts, including the Bhagavad Gita. The Press was the first to publish the text as a book; prior to this the Gita existed solely in the oral tradition of the Brahmin.Gita press holds a place in the Guinness book of world reecords as the largest publisher of religious books in the world in terms of volume. The publishing company is located in a building with marble walls inscribed with the 18 chapters of the Gita, and hung with paintings depicting the lives of Rama and Krishna. dewaker ram ,national hockey player
Transport
Railways
Gorakhpur railway station is the headquarters of India's North East Railway. It connects to almost every major city in India. Direct trains connect to Hyderabad, Chennai, Agra, Bhopal, Gwalior, Jabalpur, Ujjain, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Trivandrum, Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi, Kolkata, Lucknow, Kanpur, Varanasi, Amritsar, Jammu, Pune, Guwahati, Nagpur and other distant parts of the nation. The station offers Class A railway station facilities.
Roadways
Major national highways intersect at Gorakhpur, including NH 28 and 29. Some important distances are: Kushinagar 50 km, Lucknow 276 km, Varanasi 231 km, Allahabad 339 km, Agra 624 km, Delhi 783 km, Kolkata 770 km, Gwalior 730 km, Bhopal 922 km and Mumbai 1690 km. Frequent bus services are available for most of these cities. Considerable improvement in this aspect is expected after the completion of the east-west corridor road project that enhances Gorakhpur's road connectivity.
Air lines
Gorakhpur is served by an airport located 6 km east from the city centre. It caters primarily to Indian Air Force traffic. A small number of domestic airlines Jetlite (Jet Airways) operate civil aviation services to Delhi,Mumbai and elsewhere. Gorakhpur is also host to many tourists who use it as a hub to travel to Lord Buddha's pilgrimage sites.
JetLite, Jet Airways' wholly-owned all-economy subsidiary has introduced a direct flight connecting Gorakhpur to Delhi five times a week with immediate effect Flight S2 6125 will depart New Delhi at 1430 hrs and arrive Gorakhpur at 1550 hrs. On the return leg, flight S2 6126 will depart Gorakhpur at 1620 hrs and arrive New Delhi at 1740 hrs. Passengers may contact the airline call centre on 3030 2020 or the toll free number 1800 -22-3020. http://www.jetlite.com
Important places
- Gorakhnath Temple, a monastery dedicated to saint Gorakshanath.
- Imambara-18th century dargah of Roshan Ali Shah(Sufi Saint)
- Geeta press
- Fertilizer Factory
- Surajkund
- Vishnu Mandir
- Aroyga Mandir
- Lord Buddha Sangrahalaya, a Buddhist museum.
- Maghar - The place where saint Kabir died.
- Kushinagar - The place where Lord Buddha died (niraavana).
- Pawa - lord mahavir jain death place
- Kapilvastu - City where Lord Buddha grew up.
- Lumbini, Nepal - Birthplace of Lord Buddha.
- Ramkola mandir
- Gorakhpur, Bhudiya Maai Mandir
- Gorakhpur Lehra devi mandir, Farenda
- Gorakhpur Tarkulha devi mandir, Gorakhpur
- Taramandal Planetarium (founded by then chief minister Sri Vir Bahadur Singh)
- Jama Masjid, Gorakhnath Gorakhnath
- Gorakhpur railways
- Railway museum
- Indian airforce (jaguar station)
- World biggest Sahara India pariwar (First established in whole world)
- Saraswati sishu mandir (First established in whole world)
- Ambedkar Park
- Govt. Whee-Park
- Nehru Entertainment Park
- Vinod Van Zoo (2nd largest in UP)
- Ram Garh Tal Lake
- Indra gandhi bal vihar
- Syed Modi Railway Stadium
- Gorkha rifles resiment
- Neer nikunj (Biggest water park in UP)
- Saheed smarak (Martyr's Memorial) (Chauri Chaura)
- Saheed smarak (doharia kala,pali,sahjanwa)
- Geeta Vatika
Radio stations
- Radio stations in Gorakhpur:
- All India Radio (FM) (100.1 MHz)
- Radio Mantra (FM)(91.9 MHz)
- All India Radio(MW)(909KHz)
Main Schools, Colleges and Universities
DDU University, BRD Medical College and MMM Engineering College are there from decades. There are also some newly opened private colleges like Institute of Technology and Management, GIDA and a Purvanchal Dental College, GIDA.The city also has some good Schools famous in nearby regions. Among them major are Springer Public School,Springer Loretto Girls' School G.N.National Public School, H.P Children's Academy, Saraswati Shishu Mandir Sr. Secondary School, St. Joseph's School, Carmel School, N.E.R. Sr. Secondary School, Little Flower School and Central Academy,DOEACC SOCIETY GORAKHPUR & IGNOU Study Center is MMM Engineering Collage.
Schools & Intermediate colleges
- Mahatma Ganghi Inter College
- Govt. Jublee Inter college
- Ayodhya das GVT. Girls inter college
- Springer Public School
- Springer Loretto Girls' School
- Springer Balasthali
- G.N.National Public School
- Saraswati Shishu Mandir Sr. Secondary School
- St. Joseph's School
- Carmel School
- N.E.R. Sr. Secondary School
- Little Flower School
- Central Academy
- N.E.R.BOYS INTER COLLEGE
- N.E.R.GIRLS INTER COLLEGE
- M.P. Inter College
- D.A.V. Inter college
- army public school
- MPP Arkanya Intermediate girls college
- kendriya vidyalaya
- Metropolitan school
- St Paul's School
- RAMPUS
- Virendra Nath Ganguly Memorial School, Basharatpur
- Imam Bara Muslim Girls inter college.
- Ramdei Devi Girls Inter College
- Sanskriti Public School
- Marwar inter college
- D.B. Inter College, Zafra Bazar
- Vikas Bharti School
- Saraswati Shishu Mandir,Pakkibag,Gorakhpur
- Hallmark public school
- HP Children's Academy
- M. P. Inter College
- S.N.S. High School Sangam Chowk Padari Bazar, Gorakhpur
- Deepsikha kanya inter coolege, Peppeganj,Gorakhpur
Degree college
- Pt. Harishaya Degree College, Belghat Gorakhpur
- Islamia Collage of Commerce
- St. Andrew's Degree College, Civil lines, Gorakhpur [3]
- Digvijay Nath Degree College
- Imambara Degree college
- Deen Dayal Upadyaay Govt Degree College Sahjanwa
- M.G. Post Graduate College
- Marwar Business college, near jhankar cinema, Ghazi Rauza
- Shyameswar Degree College,Sikariganj, Gorakhpur
- Veer Bahadur Singh Degree college, Harnahi , Gorakhpur
- Chandra Kanti Ramavati Arya Mahila P.G. College, Gorakhpur
- Bapu Degree College peppeganj, gorakhpur.
Engineering college
- MMM Engineering College, Kudaghat
- INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT,Gida ,Gorakhpur
- INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT FOR WOMEN,Gida,Gorakhpur
- BUDDHA INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY,Gida,Gorakhpur
- SUYASH INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY,Gorakhpur
- KAILASH INSTITUTE OF PHARMACY & MANAGEMENT, Gorakhpur
Polytechnic institute
- Govt Polytechnic college
- Govt ITI college
- icm college
Other professional institutions
- MMM Engineering College,Kudaghat
- Institute of Technology & Management,Gida
- ITM Pharmacy College, Gida
- Buddha Institute of Technology, Gida
- ITM Technical College for Women,Gida
- NIIT CIVIL LINES, Park Road
- NIIT ASURAN, Medical Road
- DOEACC Society, Gorakhpur
- S.N.S Institute of Information Technology, Sangam Chowk Padari Bazar, Gorakhpur
- AniClick Animation, Infront Vijay Cineplex, Bank Road, Gorakhpur
Medical/Dental Colleges
- purvanchal inst.of dental sciences
- BRD Medical College
Universities
- DDU University [4]